January 24, 2015 12:38 AMTHE HAGUE (AFP) – A Dutch team is to return to the MH17 crash site in war-torn Ukraine to collect more remains of the 298 people killed when the Malaysia Airlines Boeing plane crashed in July, officials said Friday. …read more Source: The Straits...

[MOSCOW] Russia may have to spend more than $40 billion this year to avert a banking crisis, as the growing likelihood of a sharp recession threatens to pile extra costs on a sector suffering from Western sanctions over Ukraine and a plunge in the rouble. …read more Source: The Business...

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed “criminal orders” by Ukrainian leaders on Friday for a surge in fighting in east Ukraine, and Russian-backed separatists struck a bellicose tone in ruling out seeking more peace talks.Putin’s remarks, and the comments by the separatists’ main leader, signalled a...

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, on Friday warned the West against trying to topple President Vladimir Putin and said that Russians are ready to sacrifice their wealth in Putins support.Russia has for the past year been sliding into recession amid a slump...

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, on Friday warned the West against trying to topple President Vladimir Putin and said that Russians are ready to sacrifice their wealth in Putin’s support. Russia has for the past year been sliding into recession amid a slump in its energy export...

In Ukraine, the Russian-backed separatists have refused to consider any new cease-fire proposal and have vowed to continue the fight for more territory. Separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko said, rebel fighters are advancing in five directions to push back Ukrainian government forces to the limits of the eastern Donetsk region. Twenty four...

GENEVA- The death toll in Ukraine conflict that began last April now exceeds 5,000 and may be far more, the United Nations human rights office today. “The significant escalation in hostilities has taken the toll to 5,086 individuals and we fear the real figure may be considerably higher,” U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville...